Pirate & Skull Head Flags

The pirate flag (or Jolly Roger) is clearly the world's most original maritime flag among Internet users! Our large selection of beautiful pirate and skull head flags are available for sale on AZ Flag for a breathtaking setting and superb unique gifts to offer your loved ones!

For a theme evening, a disguised game, a treasure hunt, a fair, a festive decoration, a bachelor party, a birthday, a unique pirate costume, a room decoration with a pirate theme, opt for one of our super original and low-cost pirate flag models! What are you waiting for? Welcome on board guys !

Discover the pirate flag skull and red bandana of 150x90cm, Sabres flag of 150cm x 90cm, USA Pirates flag, No Quarter / No Mercy flag, Dead Men tells no tales flag as in Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Edward Lowe, Emmanuel Wyne, Henry Avery, John Quelch, pirate table flag, pirate ship flag with human skeleton, flgas with skull and crown. Find the most original flags of pirates, freebooters, privateers, privateers and forbans in our list of fancy flags: flag with a black background, red background or  100% polyester coloured background and equipped with the most ergonomic hangers: eyelets, rings or cords! 

Buy / Sell pirate flag: Do you know the origins of pirate flags around the world?

Traditionally, the pirate flag was used on pirate and privateer ships in the early 18th century to frighten enemies at sea. Although it is not uncommon to still see some ships flying the pirate flag today, it is now more of a decorative object and a fantasy flag.

The pirate flag is generally a flag representing symbols that pirates used to like: a flag with a black background, skull and crossbones. In European piracy, pirates and freebooters referred to a famous medieval Christian motto: "Memento Mori": in order to remember that we are all "going to die", let us try to make the most of our existence.

Originally, three types of pirate flags were distinguished: the maritime flags of non-European privateers and pirates, the European and American flags and finally the English or North American flags.

Jolly Roger" flag and English or European piracy

The one that will remain firmly rooted in people's memories and imagery is the British pirate flag: the "Jolly Roger" that was seen flying in the North Atlantic or the West Indies on the ships of pirates, buccaneers and freebooters. Its first use dates back to year 1700. In heraldry, the pavilion is blasphemed as follows: a sand sign (black) with crossed bones, a skull and crossbones and (sometimes) an hourglass. It's the famous skull and crossbones flag!

During naval combat, Anglo-Saxon pirates and French buccaneers used to hoist a black flag (the colour of mourning and hell in the West), an invitation for the enemy fleet to surrender without resistance. If the opponent refused, the "Joli Rouge" ("Pretty Red" in reference to a red flag used by French privateers) was then hoisted, a red flag that the French buccaneers hoisted alongside their national flag giving a "No quarter!" signal. However, customs and habits could vary from ship to ship.

The use of United Flags was generally more common in piracy. But the "Jolly Roger", a black flag with white skull and crossbones symbols, was also used because of its very direct meaning: death and no quarter.

The Jolly Roger was adorned with macabre symbols such as skulls and tibias or hourglasses, swords and weapons, hearts and drops of blood and sometimes inscriptions and epigraphs as well.

European and American privateer: maritime war flag

Among European or American privateers, merchant ships (not to be confused with pirates) had the right to attack only in time of naval war. It was customary to fly a national war flag (which are still used today by the countries of the world!).

Other pirate flags of the world

Non-European piracy had different vexillological traditions and used other symbols. For example, in Asia, pirate or merchant junks raised banners with ideograms and barbarians (Ottoman pirates and Maghrebian Muslim privateers) wore red or green flags with crescent moons on the mast of their ships.